


My teenage years

by Idle_Insomniac



Series: Who I was, am and will be [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: CPS, Child Protective Services, Hurt Dean, Police, Protective Dean, pritective sam, shop lifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5133598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idle_Insomniac/pseuds/Idle_Insomniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean gets caught shoplifting and gets sent to the police station but things change when they see the items he stole and child protective services quickly get involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My teenage years

Dean's life was hard. Don't get him wrong, it was great. He loved it. He loved his family and he loved his friends. The problem was there was too many he loved: too many pieces of himself he gave away to keep them afloat. When his mum had died he had been four and when he was first left alone and told to look after Sammy he was seven. When Adam arrived he was eleven and the night his Dad left him alone to look after them he was twelve. That was the last time he saw his Dad. He managed to keep out of attention for two years. He got a paper round, babysitted during the day,  managed to get a job at a local café, sold his artwork to anyone who'd pay and worked weekends at the garage. If there wasn't enough money he would go without food for a few days, sometimes he would beg and sometimes he would steal. All in all, he always made sure Sammy and Adam had a place to stay, food to eat and clothes to wear. He walked them to school each day, booked in doctors appointments, helped them with their homework and brought them up to be good kids. He had pretty much raised them anyway, the only difference was now he was providing the money too.  
They found out when he was fourteen.

Dean had run out of money again and the landlord was loosing his patience. He had one day. Dean had enough money for another week but then there would be nothing left for food and supplies. He hadn't gotten a lot begging, not enough for two growing kids and if there was enough- himself. He stood outside the convenience store, shivering in his thin layers with holes poking out his toes. He told himself it was necessary. He still always felt bad.  Taking a deep breath, he strode into the shop and sneakily grabbed the basics shoving them in his bag. Toilet roll. Bread. Jam. A pencil. Cereal. Milk. Needle and thread. Then he looked for something cheap someone his age would buy, settled on gum and went to pay for the packet. The server was a middle aged woman with a kind face and he hoped she wouldn't get in trouble for not noticing him shop lifting. He was heading out when someone walked straight into him and knocked his bag on the floor wide open. Dean swore. He grabbed his bag and ran out the store but the guy he ran into was a cop and caught up with him quickly, dragging him back. He looked down at Dean like he was scum and dropped him in front of the cashier. 

"You think you're being clever stealing kid?"

Dean didn't answer but he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to anyway.

"What was you trying to do? Impress your friends by stealing alcohol? Or was it just any random old thing to feel good about yourself?"

At this, Dean glared up at him. Man thought he knew everything and for most kids his guess would have probably been right but no. Dean was stealing to feed his family so they wouldn't starve. He said nothing though just glared aggressively towards the officer. The man seemed to catch on that he'd guessed wrong though.

"No? What have we got in here then?"

He reached for Deans bag but Dean pulled it tight up against his chest and yelled "No!". He had private things in there. Everything that he owned to himself was in that bag. The man raised an eyebrow and went rummaging around his life. Carelessly he tossed Deans most prized possessions on the floor. A comic he got from his dad about batman before he left. A toy car Adam gave him for his eleventh birthday. A sketch book from his mum when he told her he wanted to be an artist. Dean dropped to his knees with the items and retrieved them carefully and lovingly checking for marks. The man paused at his reaction. Dean could feel tears threatening to spill when he noticed the book was slightly torn.

"Kid? You alright? What is it?"

The man suddenly seemed concerned and looked down on the kid who's eyes were blotchy and was clinging to the items with a look of pure desperation on his face.

"Please leave my things alone. I'll show you what I stole just stop. Please."

Dean whispered and the man looked shocked and kind of guilty. He nodded and stepped back. Dean carefully placed the objects back into their individual compartments of his bag, checking for damage on anything else. It was all fine. Then he pulled out the stuff he stole and placed it on the table. Not daring to look up and meet his face, eyes filled of disgust for the vermin Dean was, stealing from a hard working family.

"How old are you kid?"

Dean focussed himself on shifting his feet and poking his toe in and out from the gap of his shoe.

"eighteen."

The man raised his eyebrows obviously not believing him at all.

"And why do you need these things?"

Dean did look up then, genuinely confused and chanced a smirk.

"You don't use toilet roll sir?"

He snarked and the mans anger seemed to return slightly but he still seemed more pitying.

"I'm gonna hafta take you down to the station son."

Dean swallowed. He left Sam and Adam with a baby sitter but he promised her he wouldn't be long. He bit harshly into his lip.

"Can it not wait until tomorrow officer? I have to get back and check-"

His words faded off when he realised he couldn't say that god damn it! They'd get child care involved.

"Yes?"

The man prompted. Dean just sighed and returned his haze to his feet.

"Nothing sir."

"Right then. Follow me into the vehicle."

Dean did without much resistance. He was lead to a neat and sophisticated car he could only guess was the mans personal car as he was off duty and climbed in the back. The man started ringing someone as soon as he was locked in but the conversation was too quiet for him to hear, which was no doubt on purpose. Dean tried to come up with a plan and a believable story but it was no time at all before they were there. He really had no idea how close to a station he was and should have probably thought about that before he shoplifted. He really was a fucking idiot. The man dropped him off and drove away leaving him with a lady who looked like she really had her hands tied with other shit and briskly walked him into what looked like a- fuck. It was a fucking interrogation room. She sat him down and told him to wait. The tricky questions came when the new guy arrived.

"Do you have a number we can call?"

The new officer asked. 

"No sir."

The man looked confused and put out. Probably thinking Dean was 'giving him sass', he got told off for doing that a lot.

"What do you mean no? What are your parents numbers?"

"I don't know."

Dean replied honestly though he could feel the disbelief radiating off the man opposite him who barely suppressed a huff. Dean sighed knowing there was no way he could get out of this.

"You can ring pastor Jim. He's the closest we got to family and should be able to sort out anything you want."

The mans eyebrows raised and he was asking questions before Dean had even finished his sentence.

"Is he your legal guardian? And who is 'we'?"

Dean inwardly cursed, though because of his expression he might as well of said it aloud. 

"I'm eighteen. I don't need a legal guardian and I'm on about my brothers."

The man snorted at his lie.

"Eighteen? Really kid? You can't even be sixteen. Wanna try that again?"

Dean clenched his teeth and glared up at the man.

"I'm eighteen. You can even check my frigging ID. It's all there."

He didn't. He looked at Dean curiously as if trying to understand him.

"What are you hiding?"

Dean snorted at the dumb question, pretending he didn't know it was rhetorical.

"If I told you, I'd be pretty shit at hiding, don't ya think?" 

The man glared and drummed his fingers on the desk. He then produced the items from the shop and laid them across the table.

"This,"

He gestured to the products.

"is why we're confused. Its why we haven't just dumped you in a cell for the night already. These are just basic essential items, not things someone would steal for the hell of it. You got a money problem kid?"

Dean sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Being honest was probably the best answer at the minute.

"Just this week. The garage was closed at the weekend and I didn't sell as many paintings as usual. The money from the paper round, baby sitting and café was enough for the rent but not to stock up at shops. It ain't something I do often but desperate times call for desperate measures. I was even gonna pay her back when I got the money."

The man opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. He had been furiously scribbling down on that stupid notepad as Dean spoke.

"You don't go to school then I take it?"

"Dropped at as soon as I was old enough."

He sighed, probably pissed Dean was still pretending to be eighteen.

"So you look after two other kids on your own? How old are they?"

"Um... ten and three."

He paused his writing and looked up at Dean shocked. 

"Are they on there own now?"

Dean looked offended by the question.

"No way! You think I'm an idiot? I got a babysitter obviously."

There was a pause. The man shuffled through his notes and paused on the first page.

"You said you didn't have your parents numbers. Where are they?"

Dean thought about the question, considering lying, but in the end just stuck to the truth.

"Dad left. Mum died."

Though he did swap the order.

"How old were you each time? Did you stay with someone else."

This was an easy enough lie. He just had to change one thing.

"My mum died when I was four. My dad left when I was twelve."

The man held up a hand to stop him.

"How old were Sam and Adam, was it? At this point?"

Shit. Shit. Dean wasn't that fast at maths.

"Erm..."

He's changed his age by four years so he has to add or minus four from their ages. Minus. So... eight and one minus four. Four and minus three. Shit.

"Well Sam was four and Adam wasn't even alive yet. Dad slept with this other woman and got her pregnant but she died so Adams carers searched for Dad and found us instead bout three years later. Pastor Jim was more than happy to look after him too."

Man, it was getting harder to bullshit his way through this. A woman walked in placed a file in his desk and left. The man flipped through the pages then sighed.

"You're fourteen. If your Dad left when you were twelve that means the kids would be one and eight. We're gonna need that pastors number now."

Dean cleared his throat and audibly swallowed. He really hoped Pastor Jim would play along with his story. He dished out the number and waited as they called him. It felt like forever when they finally came back.

"So you've been looking after them on your own for two years. Seem to have done a good job too. They're both doing well at school and have nice clothes and equipment. They haven't caused any trouble at school and seem pretty perfect kids."

Dean beamed. He was proud of how he brought them up.

"But then there's you."

Dean looked genuinely confused. Whats he got to do with anything.

"You should be at school but you're working five jobs. Your clothes are old, worn and have more patches on them than a patch work quilt. You look pretty underweight and you just shoplifted for food. Apparently people have seen you begging. You live in a rough area and people have reported you, including teachers at Sam and Adams school because you often have bruises and cuts on your face and the rest of your body is covered."

The man looks at Dean with newly discovered pity and concern. Dean looks angry.

"So what?! It's a rough area sometimes you get a bit beaten up. It's not like I let anyone hurt Sam or Adam! And it's my choice if I'd rather buy them nice clothes than myself. What do I need swanky clothes on for? If anything that would just get me mugged! As for the fucking underweight thing, that's just bullshit! How the fuck could you tell from just looking at me?! It ain't none of your business what I do, if I'm looking after the kids fine and they're happy, why the hell does it matter?! Just piss off and go and bother someone who actually needs your help."

The man pinched his lips together and rose his eyebrows.

"Because you are still a child and someone should be looking after you. What you've got going on here isn't healthy kid. You may not see it now but we're going to help you."

Dean opened his mouth to protest but the man carried on talking as if he hadn't noticed. 

"We got child services down. After looking through your phone they've found where the kids live and they've taken them to child care. They're on their way for you now."

Dean was silent for a moment. Everything he'd been trying hard to prevent happening just happened. The CPS were here and they wanted to take them away. He felt a cold solid lump in his throat and drew a deep breath to try and clear it. No way was he crying twice in one night. No way. He jumped into action.

"You cant. You can't take my kids away from me. They're everything. I don't see the point in this whole god forsaken world without them! You think you're helping me? Think I'll come back and thank you when I'm older? You're taking the only two things that I care about away from me! You're- you're ruining everything! They're the only fucking reason I even give a shit and you know what? They're the only thing I got left, that hasn't left me. Hell, I know they will eventually and then I can stick a gun in my mouth and have some fucking rest but you- you fucking son of a bitch, the only thing your doing is bringing that day closer with your so called 'help'! So thanks, I'll be sure to send you flowers in the future for the wonderful fucking impact you had on my life!"

The man is shocked silent. Guilt and pity clear on his gave and he opens his mouth to respond but is thankfully saved by a knock on the door and doesn't have to try for an answer to that. He jumps up quickly and let's the two people in. One man and one woman. They exchange a look before dismissing him and then look to Dean. By this point Dean has stopped glaring and okay, so what? Maybe he is fucking crying. He looks a mess. His lip is all chewed and he can't stop shaking. It's over. It's all over because he couldn't do one fucking thing right and just work harder or run away faster or just something. Anything to stop him being here.

"Dean?"

The woman asks tentatively and places a hand on his arm.

"Dean it's going to be okay. We're gonna get someone to look after you and little Sammy and Adam will find great foster parents in no time because you've raised them to be so sweet. You'll still get to see them, you'll just get to have a life of your own too. Get to be a brother instead of a father."

Dean just starts sobbing even more. She's right of course. Adam and Sam will get replacements for him and in no time they won't even remember who he is, what he sacrificed for them. He might even get sent off to a family who want to 'fix him', pretend to be normal. But he doesn't want that life for himself, he wants it for them. Maybe he's just being selfish. They deserve all of that. They deserve so much better then what he can give them. He should let them go, he knows he's like poison and everything he loves will eventually turn bad. Yeah, he needs to let them go. It'll be better that way. They'll be better. He wipes his eyes and swallows the deep lump further down.

"Okay."

They exchange a worried look clearly expecting more of a protest and when one opens their mouth Dean is quick to butt in.

"I said okay! Fucking hell, I got it. They'll be better this way. I'm not so much of a selfish bastard that I'd take away their only shot at being normal and happy. So quit staring and take me wherever the fuck you take the rejects or orphans or whatever."

He finished weakly and determinedly ignored the pitying looks being thrown his way. He could tell they wanted to say more but that was just tough, he was done talking. Wiping his eyes one more time he grabbed his bag and walked out leaving them no choice but to follow him. 

They tried to talk to him again in the car.

They tried again when they got there.

They raised their voices slightly when they felt his weapons.

They murmured soothings when he looked at a knife too long.

They talked and talked and talked but Dean just wasn't ready to answer, he just didn't want to know. They gave up after a few hours.

Dean finally spoke four hours later. He had been placed in a temporary room, on his own and he couldn't help but hate all the extra space. He was contemplating what he should do when Sammy burst through the door crying and ran into his arms, little Addy in tow. 

"Dean! They found us and they want to take us away from you! What are we going to do? I got all my things are we going to break out?"

Dean sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose and bent down so he was eye level.

"No Sammy. We can't. I- You and Addy are going to get adopted, you'll have a normal life like you always wanted. You can join as many clubs as you like, go to some fancy school and live in a big house with your own bedroom! You'll love it!"

Sam looked hesitant and climbed closer to Dean so he was sat on him cuddling. Adam started crying, probably jealous, and Sam glared as Dean scooped him up to join them. He always got kind of possessive and jealous of other people with Dean. Dean chuckled slightly and Sam forced himself back to the situation at hand.

"If I have a room to myself then where will you be?"

Dean coughed and awkwardly stroked Sam's hair, snorting at the beam he received for doing so.

"Well... I won't be in the house with you but they promised we could still meet up on weekends..."

Sam looked horrified and clung onto Dean tightly.

"No way! I'm not going anywhere without you and if they force me then I'll be so bad they'll want to send me back! I swear it Dean. I'm not letting them take me away from you!"

Dean felt tears prickling his eyes again but quickly blinked them away so Sam wouldn't worry and smiled at him.

"It's for the best Sam. You'll do better without me, I'm-"

But Dean didn't get to finish before Sam jumped up and glared at him.

"No! Don't you dare, not now Dean! I know you have low self esteem but trust me there is no one better than you to look after me and it will hurt me as much as it would you if they split us. Don't you get that you're the only thing I have left too? The most important person to me so no. You don't get to tell me what's best for me. We're sticking together and that's final!"

Dean tried not to beam, he really did but he definitely smiled.

"Okay little brother."


End file.
